Natural Survival Instinct: Stephen Crane’s “The Open Boat”

In Stephen Crane’s “The Open Boat,” the instinct in humankind to survive during a life threatening situation is explored and examined closely through the time period of about one day. Crane creates a first person narrative that allows readers to enter the thought processes of the men aboard the small boat awaiting their death or their survival. Through the character of the correspondent, readers are shown the most intimate view of survival as he is particularly detached from the group of men aboard, the cook, the oiler, and the captain. As the natural elements of the story, such as the wind and the waves, are constantly working to defeat the men, Crane depicts how these circumstances work to create a contiguous group among the men with a shared heartbeat and mind frame of survival. This element of survival is also strengthened through the oiler, Billie, as his own particular vigor for survival and willingness to persevere is illustrated throughout the day aboard the boat. 

As the story opens, Crane introduces each character in relation to their particular frame of mind that is furthered throughout the story of their survival. As the cook “sat in the bottom [of the boat], and looked with both eyes at the six inches of boat which separated him from the ocean,” the impression given is that the cook is hopeful as he looks toward the horizon. (Crane 1) Throughout the story, the cook himself remains cheerful of an eventual rescue, and supportive of the captain’s hope in finding one among the shoreline eventually. When he sleeps with his arm around the oiler during the final night shift, a sense of calm is cast over his demeanor as he appears to be continually calm and in turn, maintains a calm atmosphere on the rest of the boat for the others. The hurt captain, though consumed with “the firm impression of a scene in the grays of dawn, with seven faces turned down in the sea…. deep with grief, and of a quality beyond speech or tears,” still maintained confidence and calm during the battle in the small boat for survival. (Crane 2) The quiet camaraderie felt among the four men during the intense situation of survival was steered by the captain remaining in command of the ship, though injured throughout the duration of the boat’s steadying and eventual sinking. 

The oiler Billie, the only character named, showcases an immense amount of physical strength during the ordeal, illustrating how an instinct to survive can overcome most treacherous situations and allow a man to charge forward. His character also remains the most vocal and honest on the boat, admitting that he also hated rowing in general life, as well as rowing on the small boat for survival. His smart seamanship also allowed for the survival of the four men throughout, as he instinctively knew that the boat would sink near the first shoreline they reached that was empty. As sleep overcame him, he passed his rowing duties to the correspondent. 

In the correspondent, Crane gives readers an intimate view of reflection during the ordeal in survival. Though he “had been taught to be a hard judge of men, [he] knew even at the time that it was the best experience of his life,” and in this knowledge, he presents a view of the survival instinct that is varied from the other characters. (Crane 4) As he believes that he will die, it is he who summons the inner conversation with Fate in order to show how a man must fight continually to survive despite the circumstances surrounding him in the natural elements, such as the wind and the waves. As the correspondent falls into a current, the most truly life threatening situation the readers are faced with, he “realized that when one gets tired beyond limit, death must be comfortable – an end of fighting accompanied by a large sense of relief.” (Crane 14) This realization shows that though each of the men remained calm during their survival ordeal, really they were approaching a brink that one cannot fathom without being physically in it themselves. 

The heartbeat of the men together also illustrates a solidarity movement that occurs when a group is faced with a life threatening situation. Though each of the men, both individually and grouped together, are insignificant and at the will of nature, they find a comfort in their togetherness that allows them to sail forward to each shoreline with the confidence that survival will occur. From “briefly exchanging some addresses and instructions,” to a following feeling of anger overarching the unfairness both of their situation and the unfortunate end each may meet, the men together find comfort and strength in their shared experience of trying to reach a safety. As Crane tells the reader, “it would be difficult to describe the secure bond between men that was here established on the seas. No one said that it was so…, but it was on the boat and each man felt it warm him.” (Crane 3) This bond silently creates a pact between the men that each will give their all to reach the shore, to reach safety, and will be damned if they don’t together. Instead of fighting alone, each of the four men works together through rowing, through confident comments, and an understanding of the danger facing them, that their fates were bound together for survival. Though “the earlier lightheartedness completely disappeared,” they still struggled forward to the next promising shoreline and disembarked the boat together to swim toward the shore. (Crane 5) This demonstrates how through the story, their moods change and evolve together in the single heartbeat of men moving toward survival. 

Though Billie dies at the end of “The Open Boat,” Crane presents a narrative that illustrates the survival instinct among near strangers and how this solidarity can allow a group of individuals to push themselves toward survival - much like the message in Robinson Crusoe. As each character evolves from cheerful to solemn, the fighting spirit in each never goes away, nor does their signature marks as an individual. The cook maintains his positive attitude, the captain continues coaching the men to survival despite his own injury, Billie the oiler aggressively rows and rows toward survival which results in his own death, and the correspondent gives readers the reflection needed to understand the situation at hand.